It has thus far, and continues to be, a blistering cold winter this year. And with the winter months and sub-zero temperatures comes cold season, where many of us inevitably end up with an illness, whether it’s a runny nose, head cold, or full-blown flu. And when you have a baby in tow, it’s important to be fully prepared for the ill feelings that come along with cold and flu season.
Remember, while you can load yourself up with meds, cough syrup, and herbal teas, a baby has his own set of needs to get through a cold. There are some essentials you should keep in the nursery and/or medicine cabinet for a little one.
Get Everything You Need for Cold Season With a Safety Kit
First is that all-important safety kit, which comes with a load of items that will come in handy for tending to a baby with a cold. When my son was a baby, I used the Safety 1st 7-Piece Complete Health Care Kit, which comes with a nasal aspirator, fold-up nail clippers, medicine spoon, medicine dropper with spill guard, emergency contact card, digital thermometer, and handy travel case. Admittedly, I didn’t end up using everything in the kit. But having it all in a nice, easily-transportable package was great.
Upgrade to a Higher-End, No-Contact Thermometer
Even though the aforementioned kit came with a digital thermometer, I still upgraded to a 
higher-end, digital one. My digital thermometer was probably the most-used item of all the health care gear I purchased for my son, and in fact, I still use it to this day whenever he’s running a fever. There are lots of options, but great for babies is the Nokia Thermo Smart Thermometer, which takes a person’s temperature without actually having to touch them—just place it close to the baby’s head, and the infrared sensors will take an accurate reading. Plus, you can use the Thermo app to track temperature readings to share with the paediatrician, and receive medical advice and reminders. Check out Shelly Wutke’s review of the device. Another similar option, which I reviewed a few years back, is the Mobi Thermometer. In addition to no-contact readings of a person’s temperature, it can also be used to capture the temperatureof a room, food, bottle, and even bath water.
Clear Their Noses During Cold Season
Babies will get stuffy and runny noses just like adults when they have a cold, except they don’t know how to blow their noses. This is where a nasal aspirator comes in, allowing you to clear up your little one’s nasal passages. The Little Bot Baby Nasal Aspirator can help do the trick. Ideal for use on infants, it comes with a soft silicone nose piece that’s specially shaped to fit a baby’s tiny nose, without causing any irritation.
Help Keep Moisture in the Room, and Airways Clear
And finally, a humidifier is a great addition to the nursery, to help add moisture back 
into the air while you have the heat cranked up to keep the home warm during blistering cold winter days and nights. I reviewed the Philips 2000 Series Humidifier last summer, and found it to be a great option that was easy to operate, and provides useful, on-screen information to help you keep the nursery at optimal humidity to promote healthy breathing patterns.
Ideal for a nursery, however, are models like the Motorola Wi-Fi Smart Nursery Humidifier+, which has four levels of cool mist diffusion and three timers; plus it can be controlled remotely from the Hubble app.
You can also opt for something smaller (and cuter), like a humidifier from Crane, which comes in a variety of kid-friendly designs, like a Frog, Hippo, and Penguin.
Comfort is Key
Finally, don’t forget those items that don’t necessarily offer any medical or health assistance, but do wonders for providing comfort. These include a pacifier, warm and cozy baby blanket, and, of course, a cute and cuddly baby-friendly plush toy baby can cuddle with until he’s feeling better.
See plenty more baby essentials to get you through the cold season at Best Buy Online.
